Townapedia
Nagwamatse roundabout in Kontagora
Nagwamatse roundabout in Kontagora · Kambai Akau, CC BY-SA 4.0
Self reliance
Self reliance · Hassan Sa'idu Babangida, CC0

Kontagora, Nigeria

Kontagora is a town of 98,754 people in Niger State, Nigeria.

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Population98,754 GeoNames
Elevation339 m 1,112 ft
Time zoneAfrica/Lagos

Why visit Kontagora

Townapedia lists 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Federal College of Education, Kontagora.

About Kontagora

Kontagora is a major town on the south bank of the Kontagora River in north-west Niger State, Nigeria. It is the capital city of the Kontagora Emirate.

From the Wikipedia article Kontagora (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Travel tips from other travellers: Kontagora on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Things to do1

Federal College of Education, Kontagora

School

College of education in Nigeria

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Healthcare2

Clinic Matenity Center

Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 km

Open in Google Maps

General Hospital Kontagora

Hospital

Open in Google Maps

History

Kontagora was founded by Umaru Nagwamatse, after conquering a large amount of land owned by non-Muslim Kambaris. Umaru then set up Kontagora as the kingdom’s capital in 1864, making himself the first emir of Kontagora. Throughout Umaru’s rule, he greatly expanded the emirate. When his son Ibrahim Nagwamatse became emir in 1880, the emirates became notorious for slave-raids that left the area severely under-populated. This left the area with many abandoned villages, despite a state sponsored re-populated plan in between 1949 and 1956. In 1899, Ibrahim captured the town of Birnin Gwari, causing the emirate of Zaria to get help from the British. Ibrahim threatened the British base in Jebba, causing the British to capture Kontagora city in 1901. When Ibrahim was reinstated as emir in 1903, his power was greatly reduced.

From the History section of Kontagora on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Map of Kontagora

3 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

  • Ibeto 37 km west, about 37 min by car
  • Ukata 61 km northeast, about 1 h by car
  • Rijau 81 km north, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Bin Yauri 84 km northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
  • Auna 85 km west, about 1 h 30 min by car
  • Tegina 87 km southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.